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KOHIMA — Information Technology experts and government officials have expressed growing concern over “serious cybercrimes” targeting India, originating from countries bordering the North-eastern states, including Nagaland, and called for heightened awareness among citizens in these vulnerable regions.
Speaking at the National Conference on Cybercrime, Digital Forensics & Intelligence (NCCDFI) 2024 in Kohima, S Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said that India faces a rising tide of serious cybercrime emanating from its north-eastern borders, while stressing the importance of equipping citizens, particularly in the North-east, with the knowledge and tools to protect themselves.
“We need to be particularly careful and conscious of our citizens in that part of the country... from the risks attached to cybercrime,” and this involves bolstering cyber forensic capabilities, especially within police forces, Krishnan said.
The official highlighted the precarious cybersecurity situation due to India’s “difficult neighbourhood”, a risk factor that was not as prominent previously.
He also raised concern over the alarming prevalence of government officials sharing their usernames and passwords with others, giving way for free access to information.
Emphasising the deep integration of technology in governance, Krishnan urged for strengthening government systems, networks, and infrastructure against cyber threats.
State Director General of Police (DGP), Rupin Sharma admitted that the state police is ill-equipped to effectively investigate and conduct cyber forensics. He stressed the importance of investing in cybersecurity infrastructure and training people to protect the infrastructure, saying that the output would be good if manpower is trained to do a good job in input data.
Towards this, he requested the cybersecurity industry to prioritise developing small-scale, impactful solutions for society, rather than solely focusing on large-scale software.
Mohammed Ali Shihab, Commissioner and Secretary of IT&C Kohima, highlighted the North-east’s vulnerability to cyber threats due to factors like border turmoil. While acknowledging the challenge of providing widespread IT services in the state, he assured that the government is working towards that goal and prioritising the strengthening of the state data centre.
Sethrongkyu Sangtam, Advisor of IT&C, Economics Statistics and Evaluation, pointed out the escalating threats to digital safety as people’s lives have become increasingly intertwined with the online world.
“Cybersecurity is not just a technical issue - it is a national priority,” he asserted, emphasising the potential for cyberattacks to harm national security, the economy and public safety.
Sangtam highlighted the government’s efforts to bolster cybersecurity through policies that promote best practices, encourage research and development, and cultivate a skilled workforce.
National Security Officer, India and South Asia, Microsoft, Mandar Kulkarni and other officials from MeitY also addressed the gathering at launching programme.
The two-day conference will explore topics such as cyber security, digital crime, cyber law, mobile forensics, financial fraud investigation, and digital evidence, with an aim to raise awareness among police officers, public prosecutors, the judiciary, etc.
During the conference, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan virtually launched a project titled “Empowering Police Personnel and Government Officials of NE States through IT and Cybersecurity Training”.
This MeitY-funded initiative aims to equip police and government personnel in the North-east with the skills and resources to combat evolving cyber threats. By providing advanced training, the project will empower them to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber incidents effectively.
This initiative will safeguard government assets and critical infrastructure, ensuring the continuity of essential services and protecting national security.
Implemented by NIELIT Kohima in collaboration with other North-east NIELIT centres, the project will establish 17 IT and cybersecurity labs, implement a learning management system, develop a virtual training environment, and create a customised, role-specific training curriculum.
Targeting 18,660 police personnel and IT government officials across eight North-eastern states, the project will be rolled out in 17 locations: Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Aizwal, Lunglie, Guwahati, Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Imphal, Senapati, Churachandpur, Agartala, Gangtok, Shillong and Itanagar.